Bird Flu - the UK hungary connection

Hungarian officials are denying any link between the recent outbreak of bird flu in Britain and the outbreak in Hungary and the BBC reports their deputy chief vet BBC saying he believes that wild birds have carried the virus to the UK. He did acknowledge the suspicion that the trail led back to Hungary.

Last week, almost 160,000 turkeys were culled at a Bernard Mathews turkey plant after the discovery of the H5N1 virus. The Bernrad mathews company also owns Saga Foods in Hungary and evidence has emerged of a traffic in partly processed poultry meat between Hungary and the UK.

Last month bird flu was discovered at geese farms in the south east of Hungary.

THe UK outbreak led to two men who suffered respiratory symptoms being tested for Bird Flu after they were involved in the clean up operation. The tests proved negative. So far there have been no other outbreaks of Bird Flu in the UK this winter. However it is increasingly clear that the extent of the traffic in poutry and poultry products between coutries is more extensive than many had realised and that this may itself pose a bio-security hazard in controlling teh spread of Avian Flu. These two outbreaks have also emboldened thos who argue that intensive poutry farming systems are connected with the rise and spread of H5N1.